


and don’t tell a soul goodbye

by ohcinnamon



Category: Bandom, Set It Off (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Drabble, First Kiss, M/M, Running Away
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-21
Updated: 2019-02-21
Packaged: 2019-11-01 17:30:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,133
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17871680
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ohcinnamon/pseuds/ohcinnamon
Summary: “Sometimes I just want to run away.”Cody stops, staring out at the stars, and knocks his head back against the metal of the big-ass vent-thing he’s sitting with his back against. He knows he’s being a melodramatic twenty-something, but it’s true.





	and don’t tell a soul goodbye

**Author's Note:**

> (title from “check yes juliet” by we the kings — yeah, cheesy, i know)

“Sometimes I just want to run away.”

Cody stops, staring out at the stars, and knocks his head back against the metal of the big-ass vent-thing he’s sitting with his back against. He knows he’s being a melodramatic twenty-something, but it’s _true._

At least, for now it is. He’s tired. He hasn’t slept in maybe two days. It could definitely be the sleep-deprivation affecting his emotions — he’s been running on Monsters and anxiety for the past week — but that doesn’t change how he feels right now.

“I get that.” Maxx doesn’t break his gaze from the sky, and the chilly air catches his breath in a cloud. He’s only wearing a jacket, because he’s stupid, but he’s also one of the smartest people Cody knows. Hell, he’s a _psychology major._ If anyone can help figure out Cody’s fucked up brain, it’s him.

There’s also the fact that Maxx has been one of his best friends ever since they moved in next door to each other two years ago. He’s one of the main reasons Cody hasn’t moved out of this shitty dorm, no matter how bad he wants to find his own apartment. Maxx is one of the only people who knows him inside and out, better than the back of his hand, and he’ll take that for as long as he can get it.

There’s nobody he’d rather be on the roof with right now.

“I know _you_ get it,” Cody says, burrowing deeper into his coat. They’re _both_ stupid for hanging out on the roof in the middle of winter, but it’s always been their hangout spot. Plus it just feels… right, for the time being. He’s a melodramatic twenty-something. He deserves to be cold on a roof with one of his best friends. “But I don’t think a lot of other people would.”

Maxx just shrugs. “Fuck ‘em.”

“I’m serious, Maxx,” Cody says, frowning. “I wish I could just take off and go. I want to disappear for a while. But I could never do it. I could never be that alone. Besides, what would I even do? It’s not like heading off to fuckin… Wisconsin or something is gonna make me feel any better about myself.”

“Okay. First of all, I’m cold.” Maxx shuffles closer to him, and Cody can feel him shiver. It’s endearing. He passes the blanket he’d brought along to Maxx, wrapping it half-assed around his shoulders, and listens. “Second of all, you don’t have to be alone, you know. You don’t have to disappear forever. If you wanna ditch this place for a few days or whatever, just let me know and I’m down. I care about you. You _know_ that. Just tell me, and like… we’ll go.”

The words are out of Cody’s mouth before he can think about them, but it doesn’t mean he means then any less. “Run away with me. Right now.”

Maxx pauses, processes this, then nods. “Okay, where do you want to go?”

Cody is floored, to say the least.

Because Maxx is just being… Maxx, and because of that Cody’s never wanted to kiss anyone more than he does now, he thinks. Granted, he hasn’t had many kisses in his life up to this moment, and all of them have been girls, but the fact that Maxx’s shoulder brushing against his right now has his heart slamming into his ribcage is a pretty good indicator of how he feels, he reasons.

He’s also _maybe_ been having a gay crisis for the past couple of months, and it’s not really a coincidence that the boy he invited to sit on the roof with him at 3 AM is also the one he thinks he might have a crush on. Oops.

Maxx can sense him staring, since he’s not a complete idiot, and turns his head to meet his gaze. “Cody? Where do you wanna go?” he asks again. He says it softer his time, gentler, and it makes Cody’s entire brain turn into a useless puddle of goo.

Cody’s hand is on Maxx’s cheek before he can stop himself, and then their lips are connecting, and it feels like literally every cliché Cody’s ever hated in his life because he thought ‘ _there’s no way people are this sappy._ ’ Except people do happen to be that sappy, and now he’s one of them, because Maxx makes a soft ‘ _mmph_ ’ sound and melts into him, and suddenly there’s a hand on his thigh that makes him feel all kinds of things. All he can think is _oh boy do I like you_ , and it doesn’t even matter that this might wreck their friendship. If it means he gets to be kissed like this all the time, they should fucking _ruin_ their friendship.

“I’m being serious,” Maxx murmurs when they pull apart, his cheeks burning. Cody can feel the heat under his palm, and it makes something in the pit of his stomach ignite, knowing that Maxx is blushing for him. “Let’s go somewhere. You and me.”

“Okay,” Cody says, giddy with excitement. “Okay.”

It’s possible that “right now” doesn’t mean exactly then, because it takes them about an hour to quietly pack up the necessities they’ll need for whatever they’re going. It’s also possible that it takes them a little extra time to leave because they can’t stop falling into kisses between packing things; hushed giggles and toothbrushes in hand and “ _come on Maxx, Dan’s gonna wake up, you can’t kiss me fore— mmph, okay—_ ”

The walk down to the dorm parking lot is spent hand-in-hand, basking in the comfortable silence. Cody’s got a heavy backpack slung over one shoulder, but he feels weightless. They unlock the car, throw their shit in the backseat, and climb inside. It’s the beginning of something new. _An adventure._

They sit in the car for a second, not pulling out of the parking lot, the radio providing a low hum of music to make up for their silence. The sun’s rising, the sky turning a pretty pink-purple, and Cody drums his fingers on the steering wheel. He hears the _click_ of a seatbelt being fastened, and looks over at Maxx. The rising sun turns his hair golden, and Cody’s heart skips a beat yet again.

“I still can’t believe you like me enough to agree to this. I also can’t believe you never explained to me that _you fucking like me._ ”

“I told you I’d run away with you without even caring about where we were going,” Maxx grins, and Cody’s chest fills and holds. “I didn’t think I needed to do any more explaining.”

“Shut up and kiss me again,” Cody mumbles, leaning over the center console, and Maxx laughs at him for a second, but then he does; again and again and again.


End file.
